Relocation Spotlight: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Anderson Properties
Relocation is a very personal, emotional business. For those who make the move, it often represents an important turning point in their lives.
Debbie Schreppel is relocation director for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Anderson Properties, where she runs a successful Relocation Department that spans across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
During a recent interview, she referred to relocation as a game changer. This is something that she experienced firsthand when she moved to Tulsa over 20 years ago, and something that she continues to take into consideration when counselling relocation clients today.
Following are excerpts from our conversation.
MS: Why do you call relocation a game changer?
DS: A game changer is a significant shift in the current way we do things or how we think about things. So, relocation is a game changer, because it’s a challenge or shift in what an employee and family knows as their existing situation and what’s familiar to them. That can include a change of location, and mean a change of income, which can be either up or down.
Relocation is a game changer on so many different levels. It means changes for the employee and the family, but also for the employer.
MS: In what ways is relocation a game changer for children?
DS: There are so many families that relocate while their children are in high school. They might move from the East Coast to the West Coast, or from the Midwest to another part of the country. That is a big game changer for those children, because it rocks their stability. There is a very emotional side to it.
MS: What do you see as the emotional impact of such a life changing event?
DS: Relocation touches an emotional thread in all of us, and because each of us is different, we respond in different ways. A relocation might serve an existing need for an employer, or create a new opportunity for an employee, but I think it all comes down to how a person thinks about it and what their attitude is. There are fears about the unknown, and concerns about how the move will impact the family. So, there is an emotional upheaval, but there is also excitement.
MS: What are typically the most exciting aspects of relocating?
DS: There can be anticipation. I talk to a lot of empty nesters, and to them relocation is an adventure. It’s a new time in their lives, and they are often excited about the move.
There are also many people who move internationally, so for them it might be an opportunity to see a new country, which is something they might not have ever thought they would be able to experience otherwise. Again, I think it’s emotional, and it can be exciting, but it’s also about attitude.
MS: What is your approach when speaking to people who are nervous about moving to Houston, especially if they are moving from a much smaller city?
DS: I learned years ago to never tell someone that they are going to love it, because I have no way of knowing whether the things I think are positive, or that I appreciate about a city is going to be good for them. I don’t know what they are leaving behind and how that impacts them. So, I’ve learned that it is more important to listen to what their needs are.
Then I tell them to try and take it one step at a time. Houston is such an amazing, friendly, multi-cultural city. Yes, it is a huge city, but there are wonderful people there, and so many of them have relocated themselves. So, they should go slow at first, because they might need to go faster later. Then they will be able to enjoy everything that Houston has to offer. It might be different, but that’s OK, because different can be good.
MS: How do you draw upon your own experiences when speaking with relocation clients?
DS: I share with them what I found in my own relocation, which was that different wasn’t necessarily a negative. For me, there were new opportunities for personal and professional growth, and many exciting new things to see and do.
MS: How was relocation a game changer for you?
DS: I moved because of a transfer with my husband’s job. The move was meant for him, but it held a greater purpose for me. It gave me the opportunity to change, and take that first step towards a new career. If it had not been for that relocation, I would never have had the opportunity to experience what I do today as a relocation director. My move changed the game for me.
Michelle Sandlin is an award-winning writer, journalist and global mobility industry expert. Her work is frequently featured in Worldwide ERC’s Mobility magazine, and in various business and industry related publications and corporate blogs. Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook. com/TheMichelleSandlin and on Twitter: @ MichelleSandlin. Also visit “On the Move” at blog. chron.com/onthemove.